The War Chest

The Bush administration, which has stared down Democratic efforts to affect Iraq policy through various troop measures, now finds its war effort facing congressional control of the purse strings.

On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates brought a request for some $42 billion in new military funding before the Senate Appropriations Committee. The additional sum boosts total funds requested for war operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in fiscal 2008 to a record high of almost $190 billion. Congressional Democrats balked,...